Impact

“This seminar was an incredible experience for me and my board members. All aspects of arts and board management were covered in an engaging manner by knowledgeable and experienced professionals. The tools we received will help us build a stronger organization that will be more impactful and sustainable.”

Peter Strong, Board Development Intensive Participant — Former Director, The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School — Pine Ridge, South Dakota

"Far from being a 'how-to' program, the Board Development Intensive was a catalyst for a new way of thinking about the board as integral to the Irondale family. It was an intense few days, but I credit it as a major step in professionalizing our board and turning it from a group of well meaning, committed supporters to a functioning board of trustees that advocate for and add great value to our work."

Board Development Intensives

Leaders join boards with the best of intentions: to support and steward organizations that elevate, inspire, and enhance their communities through exemplary art.

But – intentions aside – a quickly changing environment (technological, economic, and demographic) has greatly complicated the job of both the manager and the board member. Today, more than ever, arts organizations and their boards have no time, and no money, to waste.

So, given this environment, what is required to build and maintain a truly effective board?

Why do certain boards flourish while others stagnate?

Why, when facing challenges, do some boards rally, while others fragment and fail?

How do staff-board teams, working in tandem, go from “good” to “great”?

Board Development Intensives approach these questions by defining the “rules of engagement” between effective staffs and boards. Intensives help participants design – through case studies, question-and-answer sessions, and one-on-one consultation – a lean, focused, and consistent approach to leverage every ounce of goodwill, talent, and resource offered on both sides of the staff-board partnership.

Seminar topics may include:

The Cycle – the Institute’s approach to managing arts organizations through an integrated approach to long-term artistic planning, marketing, and fundraising

Creating the "Ideal Board” – a five-year plan for developing the board your organization needs to execute its mission